White Book
by Eba-chan150
Summary: There is a dark place full of books. Its guardian decided to visit outer world – the Prime Mobius – to steal old books. What is his goal? Is he on Dr. Eggman's side? He is always plotting something like now. He discovered an ancient 'weapon' that can change the reality. Will mysterious guardian help our heroes to defeat Dr. Eggman or is he actually a bigger threat?
1. Librarian (1-4)

_**! Hello, I have moved to WATTPAD, if you like what have you found here, you may like the NEWEST stories there. My username there is WITTO150. This story will be there too and I plan to make it even better.  
**_

* * *

Hi, there, here I come with a brand new story. I worked on it almost immediately after I have finished Silver Darkness. I can't believe it myself. I only wanted to do one story... But my head is like making a fun of me :-) And I don't regret it a bit! This time the chapters are like double of the length of the ones in SD. There is as well a small surprise at the end of each chapter. I as well created an OC for the first time, so please tell me what you think of him.

This story as well takes place after Shattered planet arc, meaning the planet is fixed, no night monsters and no werehogs. I'm jumping in time and place too, so tell me if it's confusing or anything.

Hope you will enjoy this story as much I did and if you read, please write a review too :-)

Best Regards, Eba-chan150

* * *

[Unknown place – 8 days ago]

* * *

There was darkness… no, actually, there was a light, but it was so dim and weak. The small light balls were floating among bookcases like fireflies. So nothing was illuminated but instead engulfed in a gloom. A visitor would need quite a while to get used to this. The bookcases seemed endless, old and whispering.

The books had different sizes, colors and thickness, but none of them was sticking out or being pushed back. They were neatly organized with big unending love. There was not a bit of dust on them and all showed signs of being used. Their librarian came.

His steps were silent. He came from the twilight beyond the shadows cast by light. He was about one meter or so tall, his body had mostly dark purple color, almost more like black purple. He had dark brown bolero with holes over shoulders and hood with holes for pointed ears. The hood was decorated with a big circle that had inside a dot and three dashes arranged to a triangle.

The clothing was lined with an inch thick yellow line with a simple pattern containing the same picture as the hood. The sleeves were wide with one side longer than the other, giving them a shape of calla lily.

The left wrist had a bracelet with the same design. Around waist, he wore a little longer miniskirt with a slit on the right side. It seemed he had quills like a hedgehog, but on his head they were short, as they weren't much seen under the hood, while the two coming from his back were so long they reached his knees. His wore a pair of simple sandals.

In his hand, he held a book. He stopped and return it to its place. He left his finger on the spine and gently moved it from up to down like he was reading its name. He then walked along the bookcase without lifting his finger, as he felt the textures of their covers.

A small smile appeared on his face, but then it quickly disappeared. He was about to do something he never did before. It felt like breaking a taboo, but there wasn't other choice, because if he won't do it, who will stop the immediate danger?

* * *

[Freedom Fighters – Sky patrol – the present]

* * *

"Father, is it true?" asked princess Sally Acorn, now a leader of Freedom Fighters to the king on the computer screen.

"I'm afraid it is. I'm puzzled just like you."

"Hey, what's up?" Sonic walked to the meeting room with a chili hot-dog in his hand.

"There were few strange robberies around the world. Every time there disappeared a very old book and there are no witnesses."

"That doesn't sound like Eggman," blue hedgehog noted and took a bite of a hot-dog. "And who would bother to steal books?"

"I know you live fast, Sonic, but these books have priceless value," said king Acorn. "The last stolen contained almost whole Mobian history."

"Father wants us to investigate it."

"No prob, I'm on it." He hogged the last bit of the hot-dog. "Let's show the thief a thing or two."

* * *

[Dr. Eggman's flying fortress – four days ago]

* * *

"How unusual," said red Orbot, "seeing you reading a book."

"Yeah, yeah, just bring me a sandwich," doctor shooed him.

"Maybe he has few loose screws," added yellow Cubot, which still had problems with his voice chip.

"That's not a nice thing to say. It's a nice hobby for a mad genius."

"Do you think he could read us a fairy tale before we switch to sleep mode? I want The Sleeping beast."

"No, Cubot, it's The Sleeping Beauty, the beast is in a different story named…"

"Silence!" shouted Dr. Eggman as he was fed up with their chatter. "I'm not reading a fairy tale." He looked back to the book. "I have actually discovered something more interesting."

"What's it, boss?" Cubot jumped next to him and Orbot went on the other side.

"I have found an invincible weapon."

"A thick encyclopedia!" shouted Cubot resulting in Dr. Eggman's mustache going down. "What? Never heard of 'The word is mightier than the sword.'?"

"No, you fool! I have discovered a weapon that can rewrite a reality."

"I don't suppose it has to do anything with a planet surface, does it?" ask sarcastically Orbot giving Dr. Eggman another reason to shut him down permanently, but it's so hard to get good lackeys, so he passed it.

"No, because last time I was messing with bigger things but this time it's something that was created for this purpose. And it seems all I need to do is to find it, I don't even need chaos emeralds."

"Sounds like a cheap product. Don't trust it, Eggy, it smells like a door-to-door salesman," noted Cubot.

"Enough of you!" Dr. Eggman shooed them. "Metal Sonic!"

The blue mechanical hedgehog appeared almost immediately. "I have an order for you. There is someone I want you to bring me."

The evil robot's eyes shined. Finally, he had some work to do.

* * *

[Freedom Fighters – Sky patrol – the present]

* * *

"So, what's up, Shad?" Sonic greeted his black hedgehog pal. He appeared few minutes ago on the screen to give them a full report about the robberies in human cities.

"You know the drill," he sighed. He almost looked bored.

"Freedom Fighters are ready. Did you find something about the thief?" Along with Sally, there were Rotor, Tails, Nicole in her Jinx form, Amy, Big and of course Cheese and Cream, which was passing a sandwich to everyone.

"We don't know much, but we were able to get at least something." His screen zoomed out to the bottom right corner to provide space to camera footage.

"This is from the first crime scene." It showed a dim place in National museum. The stolen object was in a display case and protected by a set of alarms, few cameras, and a pair of security guards.

Everything looked normal until some noise appeared. The footage only jerked a few times, but then it become so strong it was impossible to see anything. The guards naturally went there to see what is happening, but when they arrived the book was already stolen. It all took only 30 seconds.

"What's more," added Shadow when the footage ended, "we have no idea how the thief got in or out. No other footage showed anything unusual."

"That's strange," Sally agreed.

"Maybe he used some jammer, but even that's weird," Tails was thinking out loud.

"Why's that?" asked Sonic.

"Because if he did that, he would affected more cameras and electronic," answered Rotor.

"So maybe he used some magic mumbo jumbo," Sonic shrugged his shoulders.

"That's possible too."

"There is one more footage," said Shadow. "This one is from the recent robbery. This time G.U.N. dispatched a unit to protect the book."

"It was the history of our kingdom," added Sally.

"The G.U.N. has already sent an official apologize," Shadow slightly lowered his head.

"It's alright, it wasn't your fault. No one could expect this."

The footage showed them a similar view like the last one. This time the other exhibits were moved to safety and to ensure a more space for soldiers. They were standing around the display case. They had guns and gas masks. And just like in the previous case, the footage was noised for about 30 seconds and then the book was gone. Soldiers were laying on the floor, showing no sign of life.

"After that the backup team arrived and confirmed that first team was put to asleep, but no gas was found on the place and no one saw the culprit's face."

"That was fast," commented it Sonic slightly sarcastically.

Shadow frowned, but he had to accept the G.U.N. soldiers went down pretty easily.

"Were you able to gain some information about this mysterious thief this time?" asked Sally quickly before these two could start to fight.

"Actually… yes, it's not much, but it's better than nothing." The footage was switched for a very blurred picture. "This we were able to get from the video. It shows the culprit is probably Mobian and presumably a hedgehog. Our scientists are still working on that matter."

As Shadow said, it was hard to determinate anything, but they at least got some picture.

"Thanks, hopefully, this will get us some clue."

"OK, I gotta go, I'll call you later if we found something. Shadow out." With this his image disappeared.

"Team, we have a work to do!" Sally clenched her fist. "Bunny and Antoine are on a different mission right now, so that leaves only us."

"I wonder who would steal books?" Cream looked sad. "I hope the thief won't steal my favorite fairy tale book."

"Don't worry, we will stop him," ensured her Tails.

"Alright, the father gave me few tips on which books may be targeted next, so we need to form teams." Sally started to explain her strategy.

* * *

[Onyx City – 200 years in the future]

* * *

Silver looked at the evening sky. It was a clear day above Onyx City. The streets of the hyper-technological metropolis were full of people while holographic panels were floating above their heads. He had a free day as for many days there was no Genesis portal appearing. The shattered planet was solved, but sometimes they still appeared.

Professor Von Schlemmer had found a way how to make Genesis portal leading to a certain place and time. As his trusted assistant and the hero of Onyx City, he had a chance to use it. Not to mention the inventory was synchronized with his telekinetic ability. Just like his Genesis portal's radar it was built-in his gloves. Few kids on extreme gears rushed around him making him smile.

Happiness and laugh returned to the city and everything just looked brighter. Silver headed to his old home, a pile of trash and old coach next to a tree with a simple roof out of a blanket. He liked to come here for relaxation or when he used Genesis highway, as was professor referring to his newest invention.

He put his hands before him and closed his eyes for better concentration. His psychic aura engulfed him and the air was slightly sparkling. At first it looked like a small whirlwind in the air, but soon it gained more solid form, creating a purple whirlpool.

"Josh, one Genesis portal is coming," he jokingly said and jump into it. On the other side was a deep forest, he recognized it as the forest near Knothole village. Unfortunately, he hadn't absolute control over when or where he arrives as the time now was a deep night. He closed the portal and headed to the village.

* * *

[Great Museum – Knothole village, sometime before midnight]

* * *

"Sonic, are you ready?" asked him Sally over a radio.

"When I wasn't?" he let his cocky accent out and smirked.

Sally divided remaining Freedom Fighters into two-man teams. Sally and Sonic formed team 1, Tails and Rotor made team 2 and Big with Amy made team 3. Nicole and Cream with Cheese coordinated their actions and scanned the surroundings of their stations.

"We mustn't underestimate our opponent. Nicole, how's the status?"

"All area around you is clear. The same implies to other teams too. No scan is picking up anything unusual." Nicole was watching few holo-screens around her.

"Good." Sally then checked up with other teams and confirmed their situation.

Sonic yawned. He had to wait… HE had to WAIT for more than 5 hours without any action. The thief was sure taking his time.

"Sally, if he won't show up, I'm taking few laps around Knothole," he said to the communicator.

"I know, but don't be impati-" she didn't finish the sentence as she heard a noise in her headset.

"Sal!" Sonic silently shouted to his radio, but no answer came. 'So he is here, huh?' he thought. 'About a time.'

He carefully looked out of his post behind the columns on the second opened floor of the building. The museum was full of pictures, statues, unique items and another form of arts. This part was exclusively for books. From many of them reminded only a few pages now displayed under glass-case.

The target this time was a first complete book about the history of Echidnas. Knuckles once found it on his Angel Island and Sally convicted him of lending it them for displaying purpose. And now someone wanted to steal it.

Sonic leaned a little bit more. He pricked his ears if he will hear the thief or any other sound. But nothing so far. Sally was hiding on the first floor behind a big display case. The thief entered the room and stopped before torn books and slightly touched the glass.

'What is he doing? Does he wants to steal something else?' Sonic was waiting for Sally's signal.

The thief did remind him a hedgehog, but that was the first time seeing one without gloves and sneakers. He doubted he could run fast in that poorly looking sandals. The thief headed to the encyclopedia.

"Not so fast!" Sally shouted and jumped before him with her ring-blades out.

"Make it double!" added Sonic and jumped behind him, cutting his escape path.

The thief didn't move. Whether they surprised him or not, he didn't let it out.

"What's up? Has the hedgehog got your tongue?" Sonic was provoking him.

"We don't know who you are or why you are doing this," Sally came a step closer, "but we won't let you continue. Surrender and no harm will come your way."

The thief made a step toward the book like they were not there.

"No, you don't!" Sally attacked, but before she could fully finish her movement, he crouched a bit and gently touched her side. She fell on the ground completely unconscious.

"Sal!" shouted Sonic. "Now you are gonna get it!" He rushed towards him, hitting him with his punch if he could just stay still. Sonic was attacking and kicking like crazy, but the thief effortlessly avoided all of his attacks.

"OK, I'll admit you are fast, but not supersonic fast!" Sonic run around the room, gaining momentum for his spin dash. "Special delivery!" shouted our hero and attacked him. He was confident he will lay a hit on him. There was no way he could avoid it. He didn't avoid it, he instead hit him with palm to the center of rotation, making him stop and pushing him out of his way. Sonic coughed and it felt like his ribs were broken, but thankfully they only hurt.

"How could you…?" He looked up, but his face was covered by a hood. The thief finally took the book. He left like nothing special happened.

* * *

[Sky Patrol – the next morning]

* * *

Sonic yawned as he woke up. He wished the last night was just a dream, but it wasn't. That thief mopped a floor with him. With a hero of Mobius no less! But it was his fault as well, he underestimated him. Soon after he was gone, the rest of fighters gathered as they lost contact with a team A. Sally was only unconscious and all of them returned to Sky Patrol.

Now after few hours of rest, they gathered in the Meeting room. There were everyone, plus certain silver hedgehog they met during the night. Sonic sat down and looked at the book in the middle of the table. It was the book that was supposedly stolen. Sally decided, that they will hear the details after the rest.

Everyone was looking at Silver, as it was him, who brought the book with him. He was getting nervous. The big screen flashed and Shadow's face appeared. They contacted him to share they discoveries about the mysterious thief.

"Shadow's here," he reported. Silver got even more nervous, black hedgehog always looked so strict.

"You are drinking a coffee?" Sonic asked Shadow and pointed at him.

"So what? I like the taste," he slurped the dark liquid.

"Let's get to the main point," Sally stopped any attempt to a fight. "The thief appeared before us," she continued and some pictures showed on the screen, moving Shadow's screen to the bottom right cover.

"Hmm, so he is a hedgehog," he noted. The pictures showed hand-drawn portraits of him as nothing digital could catch him. "As I see the book, you were able to fight him off or at least hurt him, right?"

"Actually no," Sally bowed her head. "He only needed one touch," she laid a hand on her side, "to put me out of commission. He even gave Sonic a hard time."

"No way, he was only lucky," Sonic shooed the possibility he would lose.

"The blue blur's blunder," said Shadow with a slight smile. He shouldn't be happy that the culprit got away, but the fact Sonic's ego was hurt did make him feel better. He already needed it. "So, how did you get the book?"

"Actually," Silver raised his hand slightly, "I got it… sort of."

"Hmm," Shadow frowned. He didn't have a high opinion of Silver, as he was often nervous, untrained, indecisive and soft-hearted. He slurped his coffee.

"He gave it to me," said Silver and Shadow burst out his coffee.

"Nice timing," whispered Sonic to Silver. Sally only rolled her eyes. Boys. Silver smirked a bit.

"He… what?" Shadow yelled. "I. Want. Details. Now!"

Silver shrank a bit. Maybe he shouldn't do that, but it was so tempting. He quickly started to explain.

* * *

[Knothole Village – About a half hour after the midnight]

* * *

Silver never knew there can be night so dark. The ones in Onyx City were never so deep like this. He wondered where he could get a place to sleep when he noticed a walking figure.

"Excuse me, but could you direct-" he didn't finish his sentence as he glimpsed what the walker had in his hand. "That's a history book! I love history!" He jerked. "Oops, I'm sorry, that was very rude of me." He made a step back.

"You see, I really love books especially the ones about history. Is this one yours or it is from the local library? I definitely should put it on my to-read-list. Oh man, I'm starting to babble now."

The stranger approached Silver and offered him the book.

"You are lending it to me?" he took it. "The history of Echidna's clans… Hmm, where did I heard it? Oh, well. Thank you for your offer, but-" he looked around, "… where did you go?"

* * *

[Sky Patrol – The present]

* * *

"… and that's how I got it. I learned he is the thief only after Sally told me about him," Silver ended his story.

"Unbelievable," muttered Shadow, "are you telling he just gave you the book?"

"Maybe he saw a big book lover in Silver and decided it will be in good hands with him," said Cream.

"You don't go stealing stuff to give it to some random hedgehog," argued Shadow. Cream put on a sulky expression, her deduction was flawless.

"Cream is maybe right," said Silver after a while. "When he gave me the book I noticed, he was slightly smiling. Who knows, perhaps he isn't the thief you are making him be."

"He seems like an ordinary thief to me," said Sonic.

"Not so ordinary, when he kicked your butt," noted Shadow with a sly smile.

"That was only a lucky punch," Sonic slightly growled. He will be reminding him this for the rest of his life.

"Ehm," Sally interrupted them, "now we need to form a plan how to apprehend him, then we can worry about his motives."

"I think we should talk with him," said Silver immediately. "If he sees me as his ally or friend maybe I can resonate with him and gain his reasons for doing this. So far no one was seriously hurt." He looked around, stopped at Sonic and silently added, "Except for your ego."

"I'll get you in no time," mumbled Sonic back.

"We can consider that too," with that Sally stopped Shadow's complains.

After an hour, Silver left to visit his friend prof. Faranight he met during one of his travelers to the past. He lived a long way from Knothole on the foot of a mountain. But with Silver's psychic abilities it took only a while to get there. His house was big and he specialized in ancient cultures.

He mentioned he probably made the biggest discoveries in his life. He was so excited about it. All Silver knew was that he found some really old papers. Professor didn't like to share any details unless he was pretty sure he is right.

His house was actually more like a mixture of a library, garage, and laboratory – with a triple amount of mess. Time traveling hedgehog had never understood how he can navigate through it. He was about to knock when he noticed a book leaning against the door.

'How strange,' he picked it up and took a small paper note.

"Hello Silver, I have got a sudden invitation from my sister to spent few weeks with her. It's so long we saw each other. Please, don't mind me and take this book as a small apology. I know you will find something special inside. Prof. Faranight"

Silver scratched on his head. He was looking forward to this meeting and his mysterious discoveries. He smiled. No harm was done and he had all the time in the world. Good thing Sonic isn't here, he would add his own time-pun. He took the book and returned to Sky Patrol.

"That was unusually fast for you," Sonic greeted him when they met.

"Professor Faranight is visiting his sister, so he left me this book to read, although I have already read it."

"Professor Faranight? The specialist on ancient cultures?" asked Nicole and when Silver confirmed it, she added, "But, he doesn't have a sister. He is the only child."

On Silver appeared a face of horror and the book fell out of his hands. It opened and a small paper was seen showing.

* * *

 **[OFF Panel]**

"What do the robots fear the most? Insects or earthquakes?" asked Cubot.

"Neither," answered Orbot.

"Insects 'cause they **bug** so much!" Cubot laughed hard. "Oh man, this always **cracks** me up."


	2. Reader (2-4)

[Prof. Faranight house]

* * *

Once Silver heard about Prof. Faranight's family background, they all hurried to his place. Their suspicions were confirmed when the door was left unlocked.

"There must have been a big fight," said Sonic looking at papers on the floor, carelessly placed furniture, dirty windows, and other stuff.

"No, no one fought here," noted Silver and headed to stairs before them, "it always looks like that."

"Shocked to see even messier room than yours?" whispered Sally jokingly to blue hero.

"My room has very sophisticated order," but he needed to note he should order it a little bit more.

"Let's look for the clues!" Sally arranged them into two cell teams.

Amy was this time with Sonic to their representative enthusiasm. The house was full of books, papers, bookcases and other boring stuff. At least Sonic thought so.

* * *

[Unknown place]

* * *

The hedgehog with bolero was sitting on a small cushion. Around him were floating dim lights illuminating only a near area. His legs were crossed and his posture shown a calm mind.

The person he had met few hours ago showed a promise. He may help him fulfill his mission he put on himself. He will indeed need a help as stay on the surface is giving him a hard time. The air there is so much different from this one, forcing him to breath a lot slowly.

Using his abilities was proven more difficult than he anticipated as well. Traveling on Chaos paths isn't exactly an easy task. It's said these paths were the first one to be filled with Chaos energy. They run across the world like an endless river without an end and a beginning. Stepping on one means turning yourself into a spiritual being. Which means you will lose your physical body.

So if you got lost on this paths, you may never return to the outer world. The fact you aren't traveling alone isn't exactly helping. Who wants to have dozens of a ghost around, right? They live there until they can proceed to the next step of their journey. Staying long on the Chaos paths isn't a good choice either.

They are filled with endless energy and calm atmosphere, unlike other places or items filled with chaos energy. So staying for a long time means a higher chance to forget your original purpose of traveling, not to mention you will lose your chance to ever return to the physical world.

On the other hand, if you let's say travel like one kilometer on the Chaos paths it is actually like tens of them on the outer world. But the risk is big. So even if S'ancer was very careful, he had to be even more to avoid all of this. He was doing it by traveling shorter distances and resting between them to ensure his full concentration.

Recovering the last book was especially tiresome. The blue person was strong and dangerous. He hoped he won't need to meet him again. Fighting him and maintaining the field wasn't easy. He always did that to ensure no one will interfere with him. For now he had to recover and next night he will visit the silver person and asks for his help.

* * *

[Dr. Eggman flying base]

* * *

Prof. Faranight looked like classic scientist, wearing a long lab coat, having a problem to remember he needs to shave more than just once per month, but on the other hand he was not even 40 years old. Making him pretty young compared to his achievements.

Now he was working in a small lab engulfed by books. He loved them since childhood. Especially the stories about ancients civilizations made him excited. And now… he felt like he is in the seventh heaven. His latest research proved to be correct, he indeed discovered a proof of the existence of flying island of Mu.

Only one thing made him depressed, that he had to help Dr. Eggman to solve the last pieces of the puzzle to find where this mysterious place rests. He looked behind himself and saw Metal Sonic watching him. He returned to his work, remembering their encounter.

* * *

[Dr. Faranight's house – some 3 days ago]

* * *

"I'm coming," he rushed to the door, "Welcome Si-!" he almost bit his tongue, when there was a blue hedgehog and he was mechanical to boot.

"Dr. Eggman requires your presence," said mechanical voice. "Resistance will be meet with a proper answer." He reached out for him.

"W-Wait a minute! I-I-I'm expecting someone!" he shouted as the robot was dragging him away. "He will discover I'm gone and he will inform the authorities!"

Robot stopped.

"That would be a problem, right? I-I can arrange it like a sudden visit… an invitation from my sister. That will give you a time, won't it?"

The robot was silent, so professor quickly continued: "And I'm sure Dr. Eggman wants my research too. I'm the only one who can bring it."

"Acknowledge," Metal Sonic let him go. "You have ten minutes."

"T-Thank you," professor returned to the house, with the robot on his tail. "Please, stop following me, it's making me nervous. Don't tell me you expect a cannon popping out of my butt, to shot me to the moon?

Even if I tried to run, you will catch me in no time." Professor was walking here and there, picking up papers and tools.

"Acknowledge," said robot and went outside.

Professor Faranight wasn't wasting his time. He picked one book, put a small note inside of it and write a letter to Silver.

'Dear boy, I hope you won't try to go after me on your own. Please, bring this to Freedom Fighters. I'm sure they will help.' He finished his preparations and went to meet with Metal Sonic.

* * *

[Dr. Eggman flying fortress – present]

* * *

"How it's going?" Eggman entered his small room with hands behind his back as he had a habit.

"I'm still working on it," he answered without looking at him.

"I have expected more enthusiasm from you." He stopped next to him. "Wasn't your dream to discover something so big?"

"I have always wanted to hand over my research to a mad scientist," he grumbled.

"Never mind, discovering the legendary Land of Mu will fulfill your and my dream at the same time."

Professor had no answer. He knew Eggman was right on this one. Land of Mu… The continent of Mu… Floating Island of Mu… That place had many names through many sources, but they all had something in common. They described the Mu as an all-knowing race of creatures of an unseen species.

They were supposed to have long lives, greater physical strength, being noble and peaceful. They lived eons ago before the sunrise of first more complex civilizations. Nowadays technologies would still look like a joke in comparatives with theirs.

He remembered reading about one particular "miracle" they were supposed to create. But the text was too damaged to gain any useful information. Nevertheless, it seemed this "miracle" was very dangerous. He was afraid that Dr. Eggman set his eyes on this matter.

He was determinate to discover secrets of Mu and possible stopping this mad genius on his conquest. He sighted. Hopefully, Silver will get help in a time.

* * *

[Dr. Faranight's house – after an hour]

* * *

A quick search gave them few clues.

"This is Eggman's dirty work," said Sonic and pointed at a rotten egg, that was left in the kitchen.

"No kidding," added Amy and caught her nose as the smell was terrible.

"Silver, why would he kidnaped prof. Faranight?" asked Sally. Others Freedom Fighters were still searching around the house.

"I bet it's because of this." He showed them the paper that was inside the book left by the professor. "I'm sure it's connected to his latest discovery he was so excited about."

"Let's see…" Sally read aloud.

"Guardian protects an unseen book.

Let its blank pages be closed.

Unbeknown to the guardian where the treasure is.

It sleeps hidden in an eternal darkness.

Do not disturb it as a great sin is trapped within it.

Let no pure night light falls on its face

or you shall open a door to a menace."

"Sounds creepy," noted Sonic.

"Like it describes something terrifying," added Amy. "And something Eggman wants to get his hands on!"

Silver was looking at the paper as he noticed a small symbol in its corner. It looked like a circle with a small dot inside of it and three short lines forming a triangle around it.

"Did you remember something?"

"Well," he looked at them, "I think this symbol was on the strange hedgehog's hood."

"Alright, here's the plan. Sonic, Amy and Tails will try to find Eggman's fortress."

"It's high time to crush some eggs!" shouted Sonic making Silver put despondent expression. He knew how he disliked time-puns and blue hedgehog was making most of it. Especially if it meant to make even with him for the ego-thing.

"Me, Silver, and our special secret weapon will try to make a contact with the thief. Let's hope we can convict him to cooperate with us."

"But, Sal, I'm your secret weapon," Sonic pointed at himself.

"I know, blue blur," Sally smiled, "but his special case require a special method."

Soon after that the fighter trio took the Tornado and flew to find Dr. Eggman's fortress.

* * *

[Knothole library – almost two hours to midnight]

* * *

Silver was sitting on a comfortable chair. Constantly thinking, if Sonic and co. found professor. He as well thought about the creepy poem and the symbol. What were they describing? What professor discovered? He looked at a wall clock and sighed. He hoped this plan won't be just a big disaster. Their only clue was his mentioning about a library.

Normally he would read as much as possible but not now. The waiting was daunting. He yawned and closed his eyes for a while.

Suddenly he jerked, as he felt someone's presence. He quickly opened his eyes and almost jumped out of his spikes. The book thief was standing before him. And this wasn't all, it felt like something was off.

'It must be his zone-ability,' he thought. G.U.N. scientists were able to discover a source of such strange occurrences during his appearances. It looked like he was able to create a special force-field that blocked any electronic signals and took the affected place from space continuum. They as well suspected that his powers in such zone are limitless giving him a pretty sharp edge.

"Um… Good evening," said Silver, "my name is Silver the hedgehog and I have waited here to talk with you."

]I have wanted to meet you as well,[ the stranger said.

Silver quickly glimpsed behind himself as Sally wasn't coming.

]I have put the intruders to sleep.[

"You did what? They are my friends!" Silver was furious.

]They are not like you.[ He reached his hand toward him.

"Guess what? Everybody is different!" He run toward Sally, finding her laying on the floor in next room.

"Ah-Ah! I didn't fall asleep!" cried Cream as she showed up completely confused. She ran to the thief. "Please, Mr. Thief, don't take my book!" She almost shoved him it to the face. "I really love this fairy book! My mom often read it to me as a bedtime story."

The dark purple hedgehog stepped back. How did she appear? She was put to sleep… unless… she was already sleeping, making her immune to his power!

"What happened?" Sally muttered as she was rubbing her eyes.

"The thief came, but Cream has the situation under control," replied Silver with a big smile.

"One day I will be a mother and I want to read my children this book too. I want to share with them the happiness it brought to me. But not if you take it away!" Cream almost cried and sleepy Chao flew to her.

"Mr. Silver said you are trying to protect the books from bad people by taking them away. But lots of people are good people, not like mean Dr. Eggman! They will be sad if you take them."

The thief looked to the side from where Sally came.

"We want to talk with you," she said.

The thief watched her.

* * *

[Dr. Eggman's flying fortress – few hours earlier]

* * *

Professor and doctor were now a closer to discovering the location of Mu. Together they were making a remarkable progress. Metal Sonic approached them.

"Dr. Eggman, what are your next orders?"

"Can't you see I'm busy!" yelled the doctor, "Find something!"

"Affirmed!" There was sinister shine in his red eyes and he went away.

[At the board of Tornado – an hour earlier]

Sonic shivered. The sun almost set.

"Are you cold?" asked him Tails.

"Who me? I'm too cool for that!" He showed thumb up. 'Let's hope it didn't mean anything bad.'

"Something is flying toward us!" Amy shouted and covered her eyes as sunshine blinded her for a bit. "That's… Metal Sonic!"

The blue robot was getting near at incredible speed.

"Oh, man, what a good timing!" Sonic smiled.

"What's so good about that?!" Amy prepared her Piko Piko hammer.

"Where's tin can there's Eggman. I'll drop here, you keep flying." Sonic jumped toward the forest and robot went straight after him.

"Long time no see, huh?" Sonic greeted him with a smirk as he was now flying alongside with him. "Not that I missed your ugly mutt face."

Metal robot slashed him, but Sonic avoided the attack.

"Sorry, tin can, I'm kinda in a hurry, so let's cut this short!" He spin-dashed him, but Metal Sonic wasn't Sonic's copy for nothing.

"Good move! But you are not as cool as me!"

For a while, they were attacking each other but without any progress.

'Sheesh, this is starting to take too long. I've gotta do something fast.' He sped up. "Taste my dust, slowpoke!"

Metal went straight after him, dodging any natural obstacle he faced. Sonic stuck out tongue. Metal sped up too. His engine sounded like the roaring of a thunder.

'Just what I need!' Sonic smiled and jumped to the laying tree trunk using it as a swing. Metal Sonic was catapulted with the opposing end to the air.

"And now is the time for everybody's favorite sonic spin das-Huh?"

"Hiyaah!" shouted Amy and hammered the robot back to the ground severely damaging him. Sonic finished him with his spin dash.

"I told you to continue flying!" he angrily said at Amy.

"We did." Amy smiled. She knew, Sonic wasn't really angry. "It just happened you were in our direction."

"I would handle him alone."

"I know you would."

Together they returned to Tornado. The night was upon them.

* * *

[The Knothole library – still two hours to midnight]

* * *

No one said anything for a while like they were measuring each other.

"We have a right to suspect you aren't just a thief, that you are trying to do something good. It's just your method isn't the right one." Sally started to talk. "We have many questions, but they will have to wait for now. There is a bigger problem and we hope you could help us."

She let him think about it. The fact he didn't run away gave her an exception he is listening.

"Guardian protects an unseen book.

Let its blank pages be closed.

Unbeknown to the guardian where the treasure is.

It sleeps hidden in an eternal darkness.

Do not disturb it as a great sin is trapped within it.

Let no pure night light falls on its face

or you shall open a door to a menace."

She recited the poem with a clear voice. Purple hedgehog slightly lifted the head. It felt like he recognized the words. Sally used the chance and showed him the paper.

"This poem was fo- Ah!"

The thief snatched the paper and pressed it against his chest hugging it tightly. Silver reached his hand and caught his sleeve. The hedgehog dragged him along. Silver was about to use his power when the thief was engulfed by darkness in the corner and pulled him too.

Sally jumped after them, but she only hit a wall.

"Are you alright?" Cream rushed to her.

"Yes, just a minor bump on the head," she stood up holding her head. With hands, she inspected the wall and Cream and Cheese helped too. But nothing showed up.

"Do you think Mr. Silver will be alright?"

"I'm sure of it. This isn't the first time he met an unknown," she smiled and added to herself, let's hope it isn't the last time.

* * *

[Unknown place – less than two hours to midnight]

* * *

"Cough… Huff…" Silver gasped. He was on all four catching his breath. "Where am I?" He looked around getting up. He rubbed his eyes as he was getting used to the dim light. "Are these… books?" He touched few of them. The lettering was in an unknown language, making him even more excited.

His ears went down. "Crud, I have found a place like Book's Heaven and I have absolutely no time to read anything." His time-traveling pun didn't add to his already gloomy mood. "Guess I should concentrate first on finding him…" he looked toward the endless darkness, he gulped, "… or find for a start a better-lit place."

* * *

[Dr. Eggman flying fortress – less than two hours to midnight]

* * *

"We did it!" shouted Prof. Faranight overcomes by a joy. He was so excited he even hugged with Dr. Eggman, thankfully not for long.

"Ehm… Good job from me as always," said the doctor. "Who would have thought it is hidden on such place." He left the room.

Professors joy was quickly extinguished. He realized he helped this madman to find something very terrifying. But his clenched fist were shaking. This was the greatest moment of his entire life.

"Metal Sonic! Metal Sonic!" the doctor shouted, but the robot didn't show up. "Useless piece of junk! Whatever, I don't need him anyway. Let's go to the Land of Mu!"

* * *

[Unknown place – an hour and a half to midnight]

* * *

Silver already explored like miles of this place, but he didn't find anything than books and books. He always considered himself a book lover, but this was maddening. The atmosphere around him was creepy and spooky, but nothing happened to him… for now.

He did make small discoveries. The intersections had the same symbol as the thief on his hood on the floor. There were as well more floating lights. Unfortunately, that was all. He wished there was some kind of a map.

* * *

[Sky Patrol – an hour and a half to midnight]

* * *

"Did you find anything, Nicole?"

"Nothing, Sally," A.I. program sighted. "I have run all the scans I could on that library wall… to no avail."

"It's alright," Sally put her hand on lynx's shoulder. "You did everything, now rest a bit."

Sonic's team sent a report about Metal Sonic, so they now concentrated on finding Eggman's fortress.

* * *

[Dr. Eggman flying fortress – an hour to midnight]

* * *

"Do you know what's the same between an apple and a book?" asked Cubot. Orbot only looked pessimistic.

"They are both from the tree?" red robot tried the most logical answer he could come up with.

"No!" Yellow cubic robot cast his arms. "Both of them have their worms!" He laughed. The red round robot only sighted. His CPU was already overheating from listening to his bad jokes. Dr. Eggman wasn't any better. His mustache was down for like ten minutes already.

"Are we there yet, Doc?" asked Cubot for twelve times already.

"No, dear college, and it's rude to ask the same question over and over again."

"O'rlly. So… Where will we arrive, Doc?"

Orbot facepalmed himself.

"What?" Other one shrugged his shoulders. "That's a different question."

"There it is!" shouted Eggman and stood up in his seat of the captain. Before them was a relatively small island with one high volcano. Dr. Eggman grinned. There was his ultimate weapon. His doorway to the Eggman's empire!

* * *

[Tornado – a little less than an hour to midnight]

* * *

"Tails, look!" Amy shouted.

"Eggman's flying fortress!" added Tails.

"Tell me something I don't already see," noted Sonic sarcastically. "Let's inform Sally!"

"Don't tell me to do the obvious," returned his sarcasm Tails. Sonic only smirked. Finally some proper action. Playing with Metal Sonic was getting boring. He hoped he won't see him for a long time. Speaking of time, how's Silver doing?

* * *

[Unknown place – a little less than an hour to midnight]

* * *

Silver finally found some sort of path. Stairs were running along big pillar. From the heights, he could see… no end to the library labyrinth. He shivered. From his place, he could see only small dots of light. The pillar was decorated with many strange symbols.

Finally, he got at the top that led to a different floor… cavern. The whole library was built in a huge cave with more than one floor. This one was full of rooms, like there were many people. He move aside a cloth door and peeked inside.

All the rooms looked the same simply furnished. Round chair, some bed or just a pile of something that used to be a bed and table or sometimes even a cabinet. He was proceeding very carefully. Finally, he found something as an exit.

'Where am I?' he looked around. Everywhere was grass, trees, and bushes. The world around him looked peaceful… but as well death. There was no sound, no wind, only the moonlight coming from a big hole above him. It was directly above step-pyramid like structure covered by moss and with a few medium sized trees growing from it.

He looked around and soon he made an unpleasant discovery. Not far from the building was a huge cemetery. The gravestones were like centuries old. They had no writing.

'Could this be… his job? Could he live here for many years in complete solitude?' It sent chills down his spine. 'But where I could find him?' He used his psychic ability to fly up. He looked around the moon's light didn't help him much, but he did see a figure on top of a small hill with a tree.

He slowly approached it. It was the thief and he was sitting before a gravestone. This one was decorated giving an important feel.

Silver cleared his throat and said: "May I talk with you?" There was no response. "I don't wish to fight you." Again nothing. So he came closer and put a hand on his shoulder. "I only want to know why-" He looked at his face, noticing closed eyes.

Suddenly the dark purple hedgehog jerked as he woke up. He turned and fell on his back. He was widely kicking around himself. ]No! Go away![

"I'm sorry! I didn't know you were sleeping! Please, calm down!" Silver reached for him. "Please, I only want to talk." Silver sat down and widened his eyes. "Wait a minute…"

He looked at him. "You are blind." The hood earlier fell back and as he still didn't open his eyes it got obvious. "And you are not talking, that's telepathy!" The dark purple hedgehog tried stood up. "No, wait!" Silver caught him with his ability. ]I'm psychic too.[

Other hedgehog calmed down a bit looking at Silver with an honest shock. ]I do admit I'll get a headache when I use it for too long.[ He let him down. "I'm not your enemy."

]It's not disguising you?[

"Like what? Em… You mean your telepathy and the fact you are reading while you are blind?"

He nodded.

"Actually… no. I think it's awesome! Can you teach me? That way I would be able to read many books at once." He thought for a while. "Wait a minute, wouldn't I get a headache? And how would I enjoy the books? Nah, I guess I'll stick to a good old reading method." He showed thumb up.

]As I thought, you are very strange.[

"I'll take that as a compliment. So let's reintroduce, my name is Silver the hedgehog. And who are you?"

]S'ancer, I was created and named S'ancer.[

"Created?"

]I was created by high priests to be a protector of their knowledge.[

"Ah, I see and why are you stealing the books?"

]I'm not stealing them![ he angrily shouted.

"Chill out," Silver put hands before him.

]I'm saving them! They are destroyed and used for evil! Here they will be appreciated and protected![

"Can't say you are wrong," Silver picked in his ear, "but what about Cream?"

]Cream?[

"That's the small rabbit girl you met in the library."

]She?[

"Are you going to take her book too?"

]That's… In hers there aren't knowledge so it isn't necessary.[

"Necessary? Hey, look, I get you love books and you want to protect them, but stealing won't solve anything. And on top of it, you think you can judge the book based on its content?

That's stupid! So what that Cream's book isn't an encyclopedia! Its value is still the same as the others."

]But there is no knowledge inside. It's useless.[

Silver frowned and shake his head. "So what? It's useless for you but priceless for her. I know her smile will be as bright as ever when she will read her favorite story to her children. Filling her with memories of her own happy times and giving her children a piece of her own heritage. And that's good enough for me."

]Happy times?[ he thought for himself, 'Like with her?' The image of some girl quickly disappeared. He was silent for a quite some time before he spoke again: ]Then… how can I protect the books? So many of them have been destroyed already! I can't stand it![

"I… I don't know. I wish I could help you."

]I thought… with your love to books… You would understand my intentions.[

"It's not like I don't under-Huh!" Silver shouted as big explosion interrupted them. "What was that?!"

]The books… The books are crying![ S'ancer passed him as he was running toward his home. Silver went after him.

* * *

[Dr. Eggman flying fortress – less than an hour to midnight]

* * *

"That's it?" professor was looking at a relatively small island with one big dormant volcano.

"Ah, my sensors are showing an underground city, through the picture is noised. I guess there is some kind field that messes with electronic. That could explain why it doesn't show on radar or satellite."

"So the Land of Mu is just a few steps before us?" Professor clenched his fists.

"What are you doing Cubot?" asked Eggman when he saw him in Hawaii t-shirt, straw hat and with a bucket and shovel.

"What? You need this when you go to a beach."

"We are not here for relaxation!" shouted doctor.

"Man, I wanted to do a sand castle."

"Sir, someone is approaching us," informed him Orbot.

"Don't tell me…. Sonic!" His plane was getting closer. "Annoying rodent!"

"Em… I heard you are a genius with 300 IQ, right?"

"But of course, professor, and?"

"Then I can't imagine how you can call a hedgehog a rodent. Their teeth structure is complete-"

"Enough! I don't care! This will be the last time he crossed my path!" He stood up like some general.

"I stopped counting that sentence when it reached 150th jubilee," noted Cubot making Eggman's mustache go down. "The only sentence I have counted past 500 was 'I hate that hedgehog!' Man, the time sure flies."

"Q-Quite!" Eggman pushed a big red button and released hundreds of his robots.

* * *

[Tornado – less than an hour to midnight]

* * *

"We've got a company!" shouted Tails.

"What's the plan?" asked Amy.

"What's up with you guys today? Asking and pointing out the obvious things. It's the same plan as ever – Smash'n'trash plan!" Sonic jumped to meet with few flying bots and turned them to scraps.

Amy called her Piko Piko hammer and followed his example. Tails was shooting them from his plane. Soon the air looked like during big fireworks.

"That big one is mine!" shouted Sonic and approached it with a help of few bots and his homing attack. He hit it dead on but was bounced back. "Talk about tough skin."

"I've got you!" Tails caught him on his plane.

"Nice action."

"It seems its chest plate is a lot thicker than normally."

"My spines are still hurting a bit from it. Gotta hands it down to the Doc, he does improve. But not enough!" Sonic spin on a place for a while, before he used plane's wing as a ramp to launch himself toward the robot. His spinning was this time a lot faster making him at first to push robot back before he made a hole in it. The explosion was pretty big.

"Cool number for blue hedgehog, zero for loser-bots!" And the fight went on.

* * *

[Dr. Eggman – inside of volcano – less than a half hour to midnight]

* * *

Doctor used a fight as a cover to descend to the hidden city. Doctor was in his eggmobile together with his lackeys and professor. He was looking around himself in a daze. This was Mu!

Amazing land with advanced technology and knowledge beyond anyone's imaginations. The buildings reminded him some very old architecture meaning the known ancient civilization learned from Mu! Such amazing discovery.

"What you are looking at?" he asked the doctor.

"Old papers describing a treasure of Mu. A book capable of rewriting reality," he mumbled in response.

Professor Faranight did something unimaginable. He snatched the paper and jumped out.

"Egad!" gasped Eggman in surprise.

"Man overboard!" shouted Cubot and watched him fell on the ground. "That must have hurt."

"Fool, I have already memorized the paper. Let's go."

* * *

[OFF Panel]

* * *

"Do you know, why no one should take children against their wills?" asked Cubot.

"No."

"'Cause they would need **kid-nap** then!" Cubot was laughing almost crying out an oil.


	3. Opened book (3-4)

[Outside of the Land of Mu – less than a half hour to midnight]

* * *

"Someone fell!" shouted Silver and flew to the person. "Professor!" he shouted when he saw him.

"Oh, Silver, augh… I'm glad to see you!"

"What happened?" The hedgehog sat next to him.

"Dr. Eggman is here! He wants to steal Mu's treasure!" He put under his nose the page he had stolen. "You have to help Freedom Fighters to stop him. They are fighting outside! And who's this!" He noticed S'ancer behind Silver.

"That's… friend. Can you stand?"

"I'm afraid I can't. The tree maybe softened my fall, but I'm not young anymore. What was I thinking?" He gave a small laugh. "Forger about me now, go after Eggman!"

"I'll be back!" Silver flew.

S'ancer was right behind him.

]I know where is that 'Eggman' heading.[

"Seriously! That make everything much easier."

Soon they returned to cavern library. Silver looked amazed as S'ancer had no problem navigating here. Given he was living here for centuries, it was no surprise but still awesome.

]This is it.[ They stopped near a bigger area. There was no light, yet Silver could tell there is pedestal, below it the circular symbol of Mu and on it a closed book. Silver had sudden thought, this place perfectly described by the poem except the part "Unbeknown to the guardian where the treasure is.".

'If S'ancer is guardian, how come he knows about this place?' He felt like he overlooked something, but right now it wasn't important. They beat Eggman to it.

"Gyaah!" Shouted both of them when electricity run through them.

"How thoughtful of you," Eggman appeared behind them and mechanical arm took the book.

"How…?"

"What a silly question. Naturally I followed you, my eggmobile has and infrared sensor. Hohohoh!" He turned and flew away.

* * *

[Outside of island – less than a fifteen minutes to midnight]

* * *

"That was the last one," said Amy.

The rest of Freedom Fighters joined the battle.

"What a nice workout," commented it Sonic, "and now to the main egg dish."

Nicole meanwhile tracked Dr. Eggman down to the volcano, but his signal was then lost. It seemed the long range electromagnetic waves can't reach far but using standard equipment shouldn't result in any malfunction. They won't just be able to communicate. Sally, Sonic, Amy, and Tails went after him in Tornado, the rest of the FF stayed and cleaned the broken robots.

"Look at that!" Sally gasped. It was a magnificent view. The City of Mu… Land of Mu was so vast. Many buildings were damaged or partially torn down. The step-pyramid temple in the middle was the biggest building in the vicinity.

Tail landed on a patch of grass. They landed on the opposite side of the city where Silver discovered the cemetery.

"So, are we going in or we take the route outside?" Sonic pointed at the top of the pyramid. "If I would be a secret treasure I would be there."

"Guardian protects an unseen book.

Let its blank pages be closed.

Unbeknown to the guardian where the treasure is.

It sleeps hidden in an eternal darkness.

Do not disturb it as a great sin is trapped within it.

Let no pure night light fall on its face

or you shall open a door to a menace."

Sally again recited the poem. "I wonder if that 'unseen' means 'invisible'?"

"Great, that means it's perfectly safe. Not even Eggman can grab something he can't see."

"Not quite, Sonic, if it's truth, he definitely already found a way to make it visible," Tails didn't agree.

"Wouldn't 'pure night light' means a moonlight?" asked Amy.

"Definitely and tonight is a full moon to boot," Sally agreed.

"So what we are waiting for, let's go there!"

All looked at the top of the pyramid. It was directly below a hole to the sky, so it had to be the place.

"See you up!" Sonic run to it, but then on the walls appeared strange symbols. He stopped. "I don't like this light show." The same symbols appeared on stone statues along every step-floor and they began to move.

"So want some smashing? You'll get smashing! Supersonic smashing!" A dozen of this stone soldiers was crushed in a matter of seconds. "Who is awesome? Yes, that's right. Me."

"Sonic, behind you!" shouted Amy and Sally.

"What?" Sonic looked over a shoulder to see how the statues were putting back together. "So you want an encore, huh?" He again destroyed them. "How'd you like that?"

The statues again put back together. Sonic did it for the third time and this time he gave it his all turning them to the dust. "Huf… This should do… No way… You're kidding me…"

They again fixed themselves.

"Sonic, come down here!" shouted Sally.

"Fine," he jumped down.

When the statues finished repairing, they returned to their places.

"They are responding on outer intruders, leaving us with only one way up, unless we want to have them on your tail the entire time," stated Sally. No one had any complaining and so they went inside.

* * *

[Inner city of Mu – Dr. Eggman – less than a fifteen minutes to midnight]

* * *

"This blasted place is like a labyrinth," muttered Eggman.

"Do you think there is a bull?" asked Cubot but he was ignored.

From outside it looked easy to get to the top, but even though he already left the library (which he found creepy), the rest of the building wasn't any better. It was one turn after another.

"That's enough! No stupid labyrinth will keep me from world domination!" He pushed a button and from his Eggmobil emerged a dozen of small robots. "Go and map this terrible place!" Flying bots went to fulfill their command.

He sat and put his legs over the panel crossed. "And what is that blasted Metal Sonic doing? I have lost his signal."

"When he asked you for further commands you said him to look for something on his own," noted Orbot.

"So?"

"So he went outside to have fun," Cubot sighed, "some robots have all the fun."

"Egad! He must have gone to look for Sonic according to his primary programming! That metal piece of trash guided that blasted pincushion to me! Now I have to make him from the scratch!" He crossed his arms and his mustache looked sad.

"Maybe I could as well try a new design… What about black and yellow? Making him a little bit more talkative? The silent killer is a little overused. With my genius, I could do sarcastic chip in no time."

* * *

[The library of Mu – midnight]

* * *

Silver and S'ancer recovered from the shock. Now they were running through endless corridors making one turn after another. Silver's head was almost spinning out of it. S'ancer made a sign and Silver stopped. They heard voices. They crouched behind a corner and waited.

"This place stinks," complained Amy. "My dress is dirty too. Why can't ancient treasures be on cleaner places."

"They are ancient treasures because you can find them only on ancient places," replayed Sonic with a smile.

"I should take it from the bright side."

"Which is?"

"You are with me!" Amy hugged him.

"Uh-oh, right."

Sally and Tails only smiled. Amy released him.

"Who's there?" Sally noticed a movement before them.

"It's me. Silver." Hedgehog came closer to them.

"It's just me, or do you have always perfect timing?" asked him Sonic jokingly. Silver only smiled showing his teeth.

"Are you alright?" asked Sally.

"Right, you went after the thief and you have ended up hedgehog knows where," added Amy.

"Don't worry about that. I ended up in the biggest and… the most amazing library I have ever seen… if there was light nearby." He wanted to say 'creepiest' but although it was true, he didn't want to hurt S'ancer's feelings.

"Do you know how to get to the top? Eggman is heading there," said Tails and reminded them their mission.

"No, but I do know someone who does." He looked behind.

S'ancer made a few steps closer with his hood on.

"You!"

"Chill out, Sonic!" Silver stepped between them. "He isn't bad hedgehog."

"There is a spin dash with his name on it."

]Don't you say? Your attacks were weak and so easy to read. I would only waste my time on you,[ answered S'ancer angrily.

"Well, well, you talk."

"That's enough, boys." Sally stepped in. "I know we-"

]I'll help you to stop the man named Eggman. Follow me.[ Without further ado, he guided them through the labyrinth.

"Who's that weirdo?" asked Sonic Silver silently.

"His name is S'ancer and he is a… librarian… sort of."

"And the thief."

"Not quite, he only thought the books are in danger so he took them to put them here where they would be safe."

"Sounds still like a thief to me."

"I know, he hurt your ego but give him a chance."

"Silver is right," said Amy. "We are de facto his enemies and yet he is helping us."

"I agree," added Tails.

"Fine," Sonic had to give up. But he will keep an eye on him.

* * *

[Inside of the City of Mu – Dr. Eggman – a half hour after midnight]

* * *

"Blast it. Blasted labyrinth! Blasted hedgehog! Blasted everything!" To Dr. Eggman's annoyance, his robots could scout only like 15-to-20 meters distance before he lost their signal. His time was as well running short. The moon will pass the hole exactly at the 2. a.m. giving him about 15 minutes to use the book's power.

Even with everything going slowly he made remarkable progress getting closer to Moonlight chamber as the place was called. Even if history wasn't his favorite subject, he did appreciate the value the ruins had.

"Once I get rid of that annoying rodent I'll return here to study."

* * *

[Inside of the City of Mu – Sonic Heroes – an hour after midnight]

* * *

"Are you sure he knows where he is going?" asked Sonic grumpily. "I bet he is leading us in circles. Or better, he is Eggman's henchman!"

"Sonic, that's enough!" Sally rebuked him. "This place is huge and as you saw, some parts are collapsed or too unstable to walk."

]What's henchman?[

"What? A Bookhog and doesn't know it?" Sonic was egging him. "It means you are working for him doing his dirty job!"

S'ancer bit his lip.

"Sonic, you went to far!" Sally turned to their guide. "I apologize for him. We all are under a pressure and-"

S'ancer turned and went a different path. Freedom Fighters followed him. He guided them to a large area that looked like an arena.

"I see where you are going," Sonic smirked. "Let's do this!"

Sally only facepalmed herself. She lost control over the situation.

Two hedgehogs were standing in front of each other.

"Don't think it will be like last time. This time I'll wipe a floor with you. I don't need to care about surroundings, this place is already dust."

S'ancer attacked first aiming with his fist on Sonic head. Blue blur ducked.. to meet his opponent's knee. He stepped back and was hit in the stomach, flinging him further back.

]Do you see? You are weak. Your attacks are predictable. You are nothing more than an opened book to me.[

"Phe," he stood up, "so, you want a challenge, huh? You'll get it!" Sonic started to round in circle around him. "Too fast for ya, huh?" Sonic then slowed down a bit a jumped all around him leaving afterimages. "Guess where am I?"

S'ancer kicked to the left side and hit the real Sonic. It looked like it was no effort for him.

"Isn't it strange?" asked Amy. "Can he really see Sonic?"

"I don't know. We shouldn't forget he is able to jam electronic signals, do some time-space warps and creating fields," recapitulated Sally his known abilities. "He may be faster than Sonic too."

"Lies and slander," said Sonic. "No one is faster than me! Here comes the second round!" Sonic wildly attacked him, but he yet again avoided all of his attacks.

'Why can't I hit him? I hate to do this, but I guess I need to slow down a bit.' Sonic was looking at him. 'There has to be a way how to caught him off guard.'

]Giving up?[

"Who? Me? No way, dude. I'm just warning up for my next move."

]It's futile. Your chances to win are nonexistence.[

"Where did you read that, bookhog?"

]In your eyes.[

"Huh… Come again?"

]Your eyes are telling me there is big anger inside of you. It hazes your mind, making it unstable, unfocused and open. You can't expect to win like this, can you?[

"Angry? You got that right! You made me worrying sick about Sally when you sent her to the floor!"

]What?[

Sonic attacked and the last sentence broke his concentrations giving Sonic the edge he needed. He finally landed a hit sending S'ancer to the ground.

"Of course I'll be angry when you hurt my friends!"

]But your anger… it's bigger than that… Unless…[ He stood up, holding his cheek, ]Unless she is your only one female![ he victoriously shouted, giving everyone almost a heart attack.

"M-M-My what?!"

Sally and Amy were totally red.

]It makes perfect sense. Your anger was so unnaturally big. I have read an adult male is looking for an adult female that is only for him. They form a strong bond and then after mating they make an offspring.[

"S-S-Slow down, dude!" Sonic was wildly waving his hands.

]Is it possible you already went through the process of mating and now she is carrying-![

"Slow down!" Shouted Sonic to his face gasping. "It's nothing like that!" He was blushing so much he had no courage to look back at Sal.

]Then… why?[

"Because my friends are very important to me. We are a family."

]Friends… family… She said that too.[

"Who?"

]No, it's nothing. I apologize, let's continue.[

He walked to the group.

]And I did make you walk in a circle.[

"What?"

"Why would you do that?" asked Silver.

]I only… wanted to read you a little longer.[

"Reading?" Amy awkwardly smiled. "But Mobians aren't a book, you can't read them."

]I can… when I look at them.[

"Like seriously?" Amy almost jumped.

S'ancer nodded.

"Come her for a sec!" Amy grabbed his arm and dragged him behind a corner. "And no peeping!" she shouted back. Sonic only scratched on a head.

"Do you mean it?" Amy was clenching her fists below her chin. "You can say what is another person thinking by looking at them?"

]Ah.[ Now it will come. She will call him a monster, give him disguised looks, just like his people a long time ago.

"Please, tell me what Sonic wants for his birthday!" Amy was begging him.

]A… ah… Excuse me?[

"I want to give him something he really wants. Something that will make him say: 'Amy, that's exactly what I wanted. But now I see… I want you more.'" Amy blushed and waved her hands to shoo her fantasies. "So, can you please?"

]You are not disguised?[

"Why?"

]That I can read your mind?[

"Oh well, now that you mention it does sound a little creepy." She scratched her chin. "But it's not like you are a perv."

]A perv?[

"Oh, no, I mean a very mean person." Better not to explain him that… for now.

]You are strange. Just like Silver. But back to the original question.[ He was indeed puzzled. Yet again he saw such innocent eyes full of honesty. ]I wonder… if it's alright for me to say it. It feels…[

"You are right. I should figure it out myself. I wonder what got into me?"

]You did nothing wrong. You only wanted to make him happy. The opportunity showed before you and you took it.[

"Thanks, you are a really kind person, you know." They returned.

"What was that about?" asked Sonic.

"Just some girly stuff," answered pink hedgehog with a smile.

"But he is a guy." Sonic looked at him and rolled eyes.

This time S'ancer took them to the top without taking too long.

* * *

[Top of the City of Mu – a half hour to 2 a.m.]

* * *

"This is it, huh?"

The place was somehow… darker, creepier, gloomier and more dangerous. The light of the night sky illuminated an old magic circle full of strange symbols.

"Professor Faranight would be so happy now if he could see this."

"But where is Eggman?" asked Sally.

"Maybe he didn't make it here," mooted Tails.

"We all know how his stubbornness is as good as my own."

"Sonic is right." Silver flew a meter above them. "He followed me and S'ancer so he could steal the book."

"The book?" asked Sonic. "Mind explaining something to us?" Sonic turned to S'ancer. "'Cause I doubt Eggman wants to read us a fairy tale."

Silver landed back.

]It's… a very special book. What is written inside… will become a true.[

"In English please," mumbled Sonic.

]It means it can change the reality.[

"Oh… crap."

"Like seriously?" shouted Amy and Tails.

"Is it really that easy?" asked Sally as she was trying to form a plan.

]No, for every writing you have to pay a price and … [ He shook his head like he was starting to get a headache. ]There has to be a pure moonlight.[ He felt dizzy. What's happening to him? It felt like there are voices inside of his head calling to him and an image of a young girl.

"I bet Eggman will pay anything."

Suddenly they were surrounded by small flying bots, that generated electric field trapping them and rendering them immobile.

"Especially if I can pay in blue rodents," answered him Eggman in his eggmobile.

"And here I was thinking you would miss the party," Sonic made a fun of him with a confident smirk, while he was struggling with the field.

"Don't even mention it."

"Yeah, don't talk about it," added Cubot, "I'll have nightmares for the rest of my function."

"What do you want, Eggman?" shouted Sally and tried to stand up, but the current was sending her back to her knees.

"Take a guess, squirrel." Eggman moved to the circle of moonlight. "Soon the moon will be directly above this hole." He took the book. "Then the power of this book will be unleashed!"

"Yeah, right, and I'll stop you in the nick of time. You know the drill," said Sonic provocatively and Eggman's mustache went down.

"No, not this time!" he shouted. "My Elec-buzz bots will keep you in the cage long enough to bring my plan to fruition."

]Stop it.[

"Huh? Who said that?" Eggman lifted his head a bit. "Ah, I see, the strange hedgehog. It's pointless. I'll open the book and fulfill my dream of Eggman's Empire!"

]You mustn't that power… ugh… is too much![

"Fool, I have IQ of 300, I know what I'm doing."

"Says the guy who calls me a rodent," noted Sonic sarcastically while he moved a step forward. Eggman's mustache went down again.

"That's because you are annoying like a rat! That's why!"

Silver was trying to concentrate enough to take down at least one buzz-bot. 'Crud, if it wasn't for the electricity I would make a quick process with them.'

Tails fell on his knees. Sonic clenched his fists even more.

"In just a minute," mumbled Eggman looking up.

S'ancer was shaking but not because of the electricity. He felt something terrible is about to happen. He had to do something. He had to stop it. He had to… erase it.

"This is it!" The moonlight fell on the Eggman's face. He opened the book and its blank pages radiated a soft light. Doctor took a pen and wrote something. "Let them go!" shouted at Buzz-bots.

"Now… that was anticlimactic. Want to skip to me kicking your butt, doc?"

"Go ahead," said doctor with a wide smile.

"Fine by me," Sonic run and… stopped. "I can't pick up my speed!"

"Mwahahaha!" Eggman's laugh was echoing. "Of course you can't! I took your speed! And not just that."

"Hey, guys?" Sonic watched as his friends took a place next to the doctor. "Hey, the good guys are here!" He pointed down.

"What are your orders, doctor Eggman?" asked Sally.

"Hey, hey, like seriously?"

"Let's start with one beaten rodent. Get him!"

"Roger," said all four of them.

Amy attacked him first. Her hammer missed him by just a whisker.

"Hey, I know you have a crush on me, but c'mon!" said Sonic when he jumped.

Tails caught him.

"Whoa! Let me down!" He looked below. "On the second thought, not!" Tails let him go. Sonic rolled, but he still felt the impact as his quills didn't cushion him like they used to.

"What now?" yelled when bluish aura lifted him. Silver looked very angry. "Em, time out?" He sent him toward a wall. "]Cough[ Bad time pun, bad pun."

Sally stood before him with her ring-blades ready.

"If you are asking what just happened, then as an act of a mercy, I'll tell you. This book," he showed it to him, "can literally write a reality."

"Like seriously?" Sonic widened eyes. 'So he was telling the truth!'

"Your speed…" Eggman approached him, leaving the circle of moonlight, "your friends… I took them with a few simple words! Now they are my new Egg bosses!"

"No way! Sal, I know you are still there! Fight it!"

"Finish him!"

Sally prepared for a hit.

]Guardian protects an unseen book.

Let its blank pages be closed.[

"What?" Eggman looked behind and saw the strange hedgehog standing in the moonlight. "What is he doing?"

His hood was laying on his back.

]Unbeknown to the guardian where the treasure is.

It sleeps hidden in an eternal darkness.[

S'ancer raised his head showing his face. The moonlight was at its peak.

]Do not disturb it as a great sin is trapped within it.[

He slowly opened his eyes showing… he has no eyes, only white sclerae. Sonic and Eggman jerked.

]Let no pure night light falls on its face

or you shall open a door to a menace.[

Around purple hedgehog was building and whirling aura gaining on strength and speed.

"That poem!" shouted Sonic. "Was it… about him?"

The wind calmed down and everything quieted. It was eery silence. Everyone was on the ground.

"S'ancer?" Sonic lifted his head.

The purple hedgehog was now different. His short quills become longer than Sonic's one and he had now more of them. The symbol from his hood now shined on his forehead and thin lines of many symbols were running over his entire body. The fur around them was lighter and the symbols were radiating dim light. He still had no eyes, but his sclerae were shining.

"How dare you!" cursed Eggman. His lackeys were shaking their heads. "You are gonna pay for this!"

]No! You will pay![ S'ancer lifted his hand.

"What's happening!" Eggman felt as his body is tearing apart.

]Disappear![

"No!" Eggman was gone. Freedom Fighters and Silver were looking in awe.

]Now he won't hurt anyone.[

"W-What you did to him?" asked hm Sonic with a shaking voice.

S'ancer smiled. ]I have erased him from existence. That what is my power for. It can change the reality.[

"What?!"

]You see, the book had only a small fragment of it. It could last only for a couple of minutes. Its power was as well limited a lot.[

"Give him back."

]You don't need to worry about him anymore.[

"Give him back!" Sonic clenched his fists.

]You can live happy-[

"Give him back, you jerk!" Sonic hit him to face. "I don't care what is your power for. Give him back! He doesn't deserve it!"

S'ancer lifted the head.

"Eggman is maybe mad scientist and pain in the butt with 300 IQ, but he doesn't deserve this! Call him back!"

]Why? Why do you want him back? He is evil. The world is better place without him.[

"You know what? I always thought the phrases 'opening one's eyes' is a good think, but apparently not in your case!"

"Um, Sonic?" Silver approached him while others were still a little dizzy and confused.

]I see![ S'ancer stood up. ]It's an anger. It's an anger fault this world is such dangerous place.[

"Stop babbling and bring Eggman back!" shouted Sonic.

]In that case, I shall take all of the emotions as all of them in the end turn in anger![ His symbols shined even more.

"What's happening?" Sonic shielded his eyes.

]Wait? Who are you?[ From his eyes flew a strong mass of light and with every second it took a more solid form. It took Sonic and Silver's hand, dragging them with it.

Sonic looked at Sal. He reached to her, but they missed each other. "Sally!" shouted helpless Sonic as he saw as she lost a light in her eyes falling on her knees.

The light dragged them to the sky, then changed its course to the small cave leading to long passage until it ended with a large cavern. Inside of it was enormous tree-like structure. The light stopped at the roots, letting go of their hands.

Sonic was frowning and looking pretty furious. Silver was on the other hand confused and slightly scared as everything went so fast.

"You should hope you have a good explanation, you… one heck of a nice girl." His anger faded quite a bit.

Before them appeared a beautiful girl. She had white hairs combed into many thin braids. Her eyes had no light making her blind. There were few light blue dots in a place of eyebrows and her face had a human-shape but still somehow different. Her ears were long and had calla lily shape reaching to her knees. They were pierced by many earnings.

Her cloth was imitating a poncho with a collar. It had again that symbol. Her hands looked thin and weak and she had a long snake tail but covered by fur instead of scales.

]I need-[ she started to talk.

"I get it. You need our help to stop that jerk-face, kick his butt and save the world while we are at it?" Sonic pointed his thumb back.

"While we are at it?" Silver was shocked. Shouldn't saving the world be serious business? He made it sounds like a part-time job.

]How did-[

"This happens to me all the time, so let's cut the intro short and get to the main show. I have a sole with jerkface's name on it."

The girl was silent for a moment. ]It all started eons ago…[

"Did she just missed the 'cut the intro short' part?"

Silver probed him in the ribs.

* * *

[OFF Panel]

* * *

"You are the most sophisticated robot I have ever seen!" said prof. Faranight. "Unlike certain blue bot."

"O 'rlly? Does it mean I hafta wear a **tie**? I hate the ties. They always get stuck in my mechanism."

"I'm sure the **bow tie** will be enough."

"I love **bows**! Let's play on Indians! I'm a cowboy!" then he started to jump around making famous Indian war cry.

Orbot passed them and brought Dr. Eggman a sandwich and a drink. The robot was wearing a headset, but judging by his expression it provided a little to no protection against Cubot's bad jokes.


	4. Lost knowledge (4-4)

]It all started eons ago…[ the girl started to tell, ]… our race was very old. Some say it come from the Earth as its first children. But no one knew the truth. Our civilization flourished and our knowledge deepened with everyday.

Soon the priests become frightened that our knowledge may be lost in the future. But no one could remember everything, neither any material could hold our writings forever. They made a plan to create an ultimate being.[

"If Shad was here he would call him a fake hedgehog," Sonic smirked and Silver probed him in the ribs.

]And so after many days their magic ritual created a first artificial being – S'ancer. He was given an ability like no one had before him. The ability to read.[

"I can do that too."

Silver probed him in the ribs.

]You don't understand, brave blue one. By reading, I mean reading your heart. Knowing what you are thinking and hiding.[

"There is no way he could get a gossip on me."

Silver probed him in the ribs.

]With this ability he was able to gain knowledge by just looking at an object or a person. Soon he was avoided by all. He didn't mind it at all. His mission was preserving our knowledge for all eternity. He had no need neither use for bonds. This all happened a long time before I was born.[

"Did we get to a middle part of the movie yet?"

Silver probed him in the ribs.

]This structure was once a great tree of a great importance for us.[

Sonic looked at it. It looked death and old like the world itself. He had to admit it made an impression on him. Silver flew up as he noticed a lump on the trunk. It was smooth like a glass and it seemed something could be inside. He thought he saw a face there.

]This tree… gave birth to all of us. It's The Tree of the Beginning.[

"What?!" Silver jerked and jumped back. So inside of it… is a death person?!

]Our race comes from this tree. Everyone born with an item beside him deciding his future. The sword belonged to warriors, a staff to priests, a hammer to worker… only I born differently… I have born with a book.[

"Doesn't that make you a bookworm?"

Silver probed him in the ribs.

"Cut it out!"

"Stop interrupting her."

]Because of it I was considered a special and priests took me in, raising and teaching me. As I grew I started to examine my book. It looked normal to me, but something about it was odd.

It felt like it's talking to me. Saying to be opened and written upon its paper. And so one day a did it… and it happened.[

"Happened like what?"

]What I have written has become a reality. I thought it's just coincidence, but soon I realized the truth. And priests as well. My life changed forever. My contact with outside world was already rare, but now they forbidden me to even leave my room.

I tried to put up with it. I took it as my fate. From that moment they told me what to write and I realized the price for it. The bigger change in reality was mad, the bigger price I had to pay.

I lost my sight, taste, my hair lost its sky blue color, my tail become weak, just walking a bit made me tired… I could take it all… for my people, but when I lost my voice, I felt so much despair. I loved singing more than my life.

Even if my tail was weak I have tried to escape. I lived in big complex and only priests were allowed there. They never thought about I would try to run away.[

Sonic was this time listening without any commentary. The story was getting depressing.

]During my escape I have lost my way only to be found by him.[ She slightly smiled. ]S'ancer found me. It was my first time seeing him. Actually not… I was blind at that time, but I felt someone was there. He was scaring me but not for long. He took my hand and led me out.

Soon we started to talk. I have learned about his power and how he can minimize his reading ability by closing his eyes. He was still able to tell if a person is happy or angry but not knowing the details.

With him, I have returned to my room and from that day he often visited me and told me everything about his day. My position became more bearable. But nothing is eternal, even if our race believed they were.

One ruler made me do a lot of writings, resulting in losing most of my emotions and memories. I felt like a puppet. He wanted an absolute control over the world and people were with him. He ordered me to erase all of the budding civilization below us.[

"He what?! And here I thought Eggman was crazy enough with his Genesis wave and the Shattered planet!"

]So I wrote it, but not a destruction of the innocent people of the world below but my own. I had no regret… except for two things… I have doomed every one… including the unborn one… and the another one…[

"Please, continue," Silver silently asked her.

]I have made S'ancer come to me and I transferred most of the power of the book inside of his eyes. This way the book could change a reality only for a while, eventually returning everything back to normal. I knew the book will survive the fall of Mu, so I wanted to prevent another catastrophe.

I let the island fall and create this place, I ordered the ground to cover it and never let it see the light again. I took a life of everyone…[ She looked above her at The Tree of the Beginning.

"You… only wanted to protect them… all of them… from the pain they wanted to create…" said Silver soothingly.

The girl smiled. ]Thank you. You have a kind heart, I hope it will never be spoiled by hatred.[

"So now we know the story, but how can we stop the jerk with god-like powers?" asked Sonic.

]By fusing the power of the book with his own, he has to read your heart first before he can rewrite your reality.[

"So if I'm fast enough he can't do a thing."

"Did you forget how he was able to read your every move during your fight?"

"That was then and now is now,"

]No, it's possible. I'm sure his personality was altered as well. He may have become arrogant and self-centered. He will want to rewrite you when he beats you and take all the hope from you.[

"So just another Eggman-iac. That will be easy."

"But how do we stop him or even convince him to return everything to normal?"

"I hate to admit it, but we can't go too fast on this one."

]I… I have a plan. My book still has a remaining power that I can use.[

"But don't you need a moonlight for it? Then we kind of missed it," noted Sonic.

]No, that implies on anyone else. Because I have born below pure moonlight I'm a moonlight itself. I created the poem to warn everyone, but…[

"Don't sweat it! You have got an awesome blue hero to save the day."

"I'm here too!"

"And his part-time sidekick," Sonic smirked.

"Stop with that time-puns already!"

The girl laughed. She laughed and laughed until her ghostly body ache. ]Thank you.[

"No problem."

"So the plan is?" asked Silver.

"So I'm going to keep mister Eye-power busy while you two grab the book and make him close his eyes. That's simple enough."

Silver wished Sonic would take something serious, but he actually felt little better. His constant smile was giving him hope, they can succeed. No, they will succeed!

"Let's go!" Sonic raced out of the cave leaving only a dust.

]He is…[

"So fast?"

]No.[

"So cocky?"

]No![

"So inspiring?"

]No-Yes! I mean yes![

"Then I guess we should be going or we will hear from him for the rest of the day how slowpokes take their time."

Sonic rushed to the main building and he noticed a figure standing at the top of it.

'How dramatic and scary.'

]So you have returned, blue hedgehog.[

"You bet! There is a sole with your name on it." He stopped and showed him his sneaker.

]Impudent fool. Can't you see I want to save you from our inevitable misery?[

"This coming from you?"

]You are trying my patient![

"Don't you say."

]Very well, if you insist.[ He raised his hand. The ground shaken and many columns rose from it. They had a small rotating sphere above them.

"About time, this place needs a serious redecoration."

Around the spheres appeared sparks.

"Incoming!" shouted Sonic and jumped as thunder missed him by a whisker. Sonic started to run. "Blue streak speeds by…" he sang loud.

S'ancer called stone and iron soldiers at him.

"Too fast for the naked eyes!" He made a fast job with six of them. "Dundundundudu…He can really move." He stopped in the circle of them and escaped them in the next second. "He's got an attitude!" He made a funny face at S'ancer.

]Low life like you don't deserve to be saved![ He focused on him, but he just disappeared. ]Where?[

"He's the fastest thing alive!"

S'ancer turned after the voice but too late.

"Watch out when he storms through." The wind knocked the last of the Mu from the top. He rolled to down where he stopped.

'Man, I hope Silver and that girl are OK.'

S'ancer stood up. Furious.

* * *

[Inside of the main Mu building]

* * *

"There it is." Silver quickly grabbed the book on the floor. "If his power originate from its why he left it here?"

]It's possible he consider losing as something impossible. Or he is simply over-confident. The power of the book made him blind to his surrounding.[

"Makes sense." Silver looked at Freedom Fighters. They were sitting with no life in their eyes.

]It's no use to talk with them. Their emotions were taken.[

"Can they return to normal?"

]There is still a chance. Let's hurry to Sonic. I have to be close to S'ancer to make my plan work.[ She flew inside the book.

"Alright."

* * *

[Outside of the Land of Mu]

* * *

The ground before Sonic turned to water.

"No water! Bad water!" he shouted in fear. S'ancer smirked and Sonic too. "Yeah, right!" Sonic run across it, leaving S'ancer in shock. "Don't doubt what he can do!" he sang.

Purple hedgehog was truly surprised. He had never read about running on the water. He thought for a while. From their first encounter he felt something is odd about him. Now he understood.

Every person is like a book to him. That book has unique writing, thickness, size and other attributes like a cover. Till now he believed there can't be a fully unreadable person. Watching him did give him a rough shape of his book, but it was far from the completion.

Can some one like that… even exist? Yet the proof was right before his eyes… when he stopped, that is… yet it was so unthinkable.

'What's with him? No new magic mumbo jumbo?' Sonic found it weird. He was only trashing an ancients robots for a while, which started to be repetitive. On the other hand, they proved to be pretty sturdy. Even Eggman would find liking in them.

The memory of him reminded him his original mission. Even if he is a pain in spikes, he has to bring him back and settle the score with him with his own power and supersonic style!

"Hey, what's the holdup? Did something got into your eye?" Sonic antagonized him and rushed towards him, which proven to be a bad decision. S'ancer had a chance to calm down making himself more focused.

He touched Sonic's chest with his palm.

"Wha-?!" Blue hedgehog fell on the ground, unable to move much less to run. With a simple hand sigh, the ground engulfed his limbs and lifted him.

"What you did?!"

]I only used a gentle palm to attack your nerve system. For a ten minutes, you will be unable to move.[

"Great. Now you are going to bore me to the death with your baddy speech."

]No, I'm going to read you.[ He came closer.

"Hey! Diary! I have a nice diary! I wrote there everything! Want a diary?" Sonic tried to break free, but his body was paralyzed.

"Eyes off!" shouted Silver and hit S'ancer with stone. Then he ripped the stone prison and took Sonic with him.

"Nice timing."

"One more time-pun and I'm dropping you."

"We don't have time for that."

"Sonic!"

"Hahaha. Please tell me you have it!" Sonic felt as the limbs were returning to normal.

S'ancer touched the place Silver hit with a stone. Yet another unknown knowledge. It was the first time he felt pain... wait, the second time, but before he was preoccupied with different matter.

He looked at Silver. Yet another enigma. His book was even more unreadable than the blue hedgehog's one. It was there yet not. Like he was trying to read a page that wasn't written yet.

]Not written…[

Silver took the book and a pen. He wrote 'S'ancer closed his eyes.'. He felt a pressure like a book was fighting back. He finished the sentence, but the beginning already disappeared.

"Was that supposed to happen?"

"I don't know," Silver looked at S'ancer. It didn't look like he was closing them. "Plan B?"

Who are they, asked S'ancer himself. Why they are so… unreadable? Is it a mistake? Is it something new? Is it… possible? It must be… they are before him. Looking at them makes him calm and relaxed. Yet something was telling him to get rid of them.

He had slightly closed his eyes. They seem so full of hope and brightness… just like her. How could he think emotions are the source of pain?

They are not important, yelled a voice in his head.

He closed them more. He has to correct what he did. How was she saying it… there is no light without a shadow. Both sides need each other, one is the proof of an existence for the other.

]Fu'moon…[ He almost closed his eyes.

]]No![[

]What?[ The voice in his head got louder.

]]You can clean this world… No, you shall do it![[

]Gyahahah![ S'ancer shouted as his eyes were forcefully opened and energy poured from them.

"What's happening?" Shouted Sonic and with Silver they were thrown back by a strong gust of wind.

]It's the book… The book is trying to take control of S'ancer![

"Can't have a day without a final boss, huh? At least Eggman wasn't betrayed by it. That was getting kind of lame."

From S'ancer's body was coming jelly-like substance engulfing him and growing. Soon it was big as the tallest building here.

]]The world can be saved only with absolute knowledge, only that way it can be guided to right future.[[

]No…[ S'ancer clenched his fists and tried to move, but his body was heavy.

The monster took a form of a big figure with massive hands, crystals growing from his head alongside many tentacle-like hairs. They even had a small mouth full of sharp teeth. The transparently blue body mass was covered with big purple spots accompanied by a string of ancient language of Mu.

The monster's head had a lizard-like profile. The symbol of Mu was glowing on its forehead.

]Are you?[ asked the girl, that left the book.

]]So you remembered, Fu'moon.[[

"You know this ugly?" asked Sonic.

]Yes, it's the voice I started to hear after using the book for a while.[

]]I'm your creation. The Tree of the Beginning gave me a body and you gave me a soul. Now I shall fulfill my purpose.[[

"Let me guess, he wants to destroy the world. How cliche."

]]I do not wish to destroy the world, I will merely reshape it to the form it should have.[[

"Sorry, ugly, but I like the world as it is! So butt off!" Sonic got ready for action.

]]Fool. I have the power to reshape reality. What you can do?[[

"Good question," noted Silver.

"Hey, give me some credit," said Sonic over his shoulder.

"Guess we have to kick its butt… if it has one," added Silver as the monster's body was missing any proper anatomy.

"Let's do it to it!" Sonic run. The snake-like tentacles attacked him and went after Silver too. He flew, taking the book with him. The monster was leaving Fu'moon alone.

"Is that all you've got?" Sonic was provoking it.

Silver took few big stone blocks and threw them at the monster, but they only entered its body. Then they were flung back at the hedgehog. He barely avoided them. Even Sonic had a hard time as the tentacles were everywhere. He would be a toast a long time ago without his speed.

'Gotta think of a plan fast!'

The monster let out of its body big tentacles burying into the ground. They sucked energy from earth and made it grow even bigger, to an extent it crushed the hollow mountain above itself.

Silver shielded himself against the raining stones and Sonic used bigger pieces to get to him. "We have to do something!" shouted Silver.

"Any suggestion?" They watched as the monster was getting bigger. It already engulfed the whole city taking pieces of it inside of itself.

Sonic jumped to solid stone on the edge of the destroyed mountain. He looked at Sky Patrol as it flew to them. One big tentacle wrapped around it and sucked it inside, sending it to the main body.

"What?" Sonic looked back and noticed the bodies of his friends are floating inside too. He growled. The monster lost all of its… anatomy turning to a big mass of liquid sending one tentacle to the ground after another.

"Let's free S'ancer, it may be our best guess!" said Sonic.

Silver nodded, took big pieces of stones and created a path for Sonic. He took it, gaining incredible speed, rushing towards mass and finally using spin dash get him inside of it. Silver was just behind him, using his abilities to keep the hole opened.

The monster was trying to crush them. Sonic got closer to the dark purple hedgehog, but it took him all of his speed. Silver ripped space around him. Sonic was just one step from him, when was Silver attacked from behind by mouthed-tentacle.

"Gyah!" It wrapped around him, but he didn't stop concentrating pushing his power beyond its limits.

Sonic caught S'ancer's hand and got ready to punch him in an attempt to wake him up. His eyes were widely opened showing sclera. Faint streams of energy were flowing from within. He felt distant memories of his life.

His dedications to books, words of priest and time with Fu'moon, that taught him more than any book could. He could feel her presence. Her voice calling his name. He as well heard the blue hedgehog's voice and many more. All of them were in pain.

This isn't the world he wanted… not the place Fu'moon wished to protect. Not his vision. Not his wish!

]S'ancer![ she shouted and flew through the path hedgehogs created. She entered his eyes one more time.

]]You! What are you doing?![[

His strength returned. He stood up, feeling Sonic's hand.

]]Can't you see what I wish to achieve?[[

]Yes, I can see it.[

]]Then why?[[

]This world… has more than one future.[ He raised his hand and he free himself out of the liquid creating a spherical space.

]]Such futures are meaningless. Only one can bring light. Only if it's firmly written it can…[[

]No, nothing is set in a stone. Everything change as it flows just like a river.[ S'ancer started to write symbols to the air.

]]You are using my ability to…[[

]You have lived inside of me for a long time, so what's the surprise?[

]]I guess…[[

He finished and the writings glowed. The monster's shape started to change, becoming smaller and more compact while the bodies remained in the air.

]]What you wish to change?[[ it asked him, its form now reminded him a hedgehog with tentacle-like quills, snake bottom-body, he had no mouth and his eyes were glowing.

]Something… or nothing…[

]]I have watched as the world was heading to its destruction. I have witnessed countless pains, hatred, and betrayal. What's gives you the hope your decision's is right?[[ The monster wasn't just full of hatred. It... He thought for himself too, looking for a better future.

]Maybe them.[ He looked at hedgehogs. ]They did open my eyes.[

]]A pun intended?[[ He crossed fanged arms.

S'ancer looked at him quite shocked. Sarcasm was the last thing he would expect from him.

]Really funny.[

]]Do I take it, you are having a god-like power and you are not indenting to use it to erase a god-like monster out of existence?[[

]Are you complaining?[

He was thinking about it. ]]I guess I can life with that.[[

]There is only one thing that should be done.[ He called to himself the original book and made it disappear. ]It's better this way.[

]]I think I caught some illness from these small creatures,[[ he noted, ]]I feel… hot?[[

]Emotions can be a true pain in spikes sometimes.[

]]Geez, thanks for the tip.[[

S'ancer let Mobians and the professor to the ground and came closer to hedgehogs. Now he understood why they were unreadable. One was full of potential and other was unseen future. Neither of which was decided. Both can change and evolve. Silver's eyelids shook and he slightly opened his eyes. S'ancer knelt and took his hand.

"You are okay…"

S'ancer smiled. ]I always thought the knowledge has to be preserved for any cost, but I was mistaken. It's important, but not absolutely unnecessary. The world doesn't need absolute knowledge, it needs people like you.[ He let his hand and stepped back. Silver fell again in unconscious.

When it felt he opened them again, he was standing and watching fleeing Eggman, it all was like a distant dream.

"I'll remember this, you blue rodent!"

Everyone was alright and standing on the beach which was covered by destroyed robots.

"And another Eggman's plan to make secret base goes kaboom!" shouted Amy joyfully.

"I'm so glad we stopped him," said Cream and Cheese agreed.

"Good work team," Sally praised them. She was glad none of them was seriously hurt.

"Don't worry professor Faranight, we will get you to safety," said Rotor and helped the man to feet.

"Thank you. I can't believe that mad doctor has chosen me for a hostage."

"Guess we kicked Eggman's butt in the nick of time, huh?" Sonic looked at the silver hedgehog. Silver didn't react, he was only watching the hollow and destroyed the mountain. "Mobius to Silver, do you read me?"

"Eh? What?" Silver jerked a bit.

"You okay, buddy? You were spacing out. And I made such nice time-pun."

"Oh, yeah, it must have slipped from my mind this time." Silver slightly smiled. Sonic was surprised, but then they did bro fist. "Sonic, don't you have a feeling you forgot something?"

"Actually I do and the worst is, I don't remember how super cool and awesome I was."

"Yeah, right. Let's go home."

"Hey, looks!" Amy pointed to the horizon. The sun was rising. "Isn't romantic?" She immediately hugged Sonic's arm. He only awkwardly smiled, but he let her do it. It was indeed a beautiful view.

* * *

[OFF Panel]

* * *

"Do you know, why there isn't any flea Egg boss?" asked Cubot.

"No," answered bored Orbot.

"'Cause it would need to **Flee-a-way**!"


	5. Epilogue (45-4)

[Epilogue 1 – Sonic's time-line]

* * *

Silver looked through all the newspapers from several days ago, but he didn't find anything unusual. Actually he had a vague idea that something was… rewritten. Some words and images got stuck inside of his head. Especially word "Book" seemed to make the hugest impact on him.

He asked around, but no big event concerning books happened in last week or so. He was starting to be worried, that his psychic abilities were playing a prank on him. The last battle with Eggman was… plain weird. It felt more like a vivid dream than reality.

Sonic maybe was concerned at the beginning but with his fast personality he soon stopped to worry. They had won and that was the most important. So he decided to let it be until he found some clue.

* * *

[Epilogue 2 – Eggman's variant]

* * *

Eggman was sitting in his chair deeply in thoughts. He was surly. It was weird, why he would want to make an Egg base on such small island? There was nothing useful. Not to mention his memories were blurry and unclear. Not even his robot lackeys had any idea what happened. Not that he counted with them, but still… Something was off.

There was as well this strange feeling he had when he saw a book. He didn't even want to touch it. He let all of them to be taken from his sight. But the worst of all of the feelings was a fleeting sense of triumph over Sonic. He had him… yet not.

But… he isn't going to give up, he will destroy that blue rodent once and for all. He will start planning his new master plan… just after he finishes his sandwich. Even mad genius need a time for a small snack.

* * *

[Epilogue 3 – 200 years in the future – Onyx City]

* * *

Silver was walking down a busy street, passing by many people. He glimpsed a figure with a brown hood and familiar symbol. Like in a dream he turned and run after the figure. Something was telling him not to lose him. To not let go. But after a while he realized he had lost him. Who was it? Slight sadness turned to a smile. Maybe it was just a memory. He returned to his previous path, unbeknown of a figure in bolero looking at him from a roof.

]]Are you posing or coming?[[

* * *

[Epilogue 4 – Unknown place unknown time]

* * *

]]This is so annoying,[[ complained snake-and-liquid-like Mobian… if he was Mobian that is. His body was slightly transparent, and purple masses were floating in his body here and there constantly changing shape somehow like a lava lamp. His quills-dreads seemed to have their own mind too as they were moving.

]How so?[

]]Because it's annoying,[[ he cast arms. ]]It's about to rain! You know I hate rain! It always liquefied me![[

He was standing with the purple hedgehog on the cliff. From there they could see a big city.

]]It's not just that, but you took the whole rewriting ability we had! What's for anyway?[[

]Asks me the one who is made of knowledge?[ S'ancer replied with amusement. His companion's lips pouted.

]]Rea~lly funny.[[ He disliked when he got sarcastic on him and not the other way around.

]Let's go, Mokai,[ he jumped from the cliff and started to slide it down. ] the Last one is slowhog![

]]Pff, at least my name sounds cool.[[ He went after him. ]]You cheater, wait up! You had a head start![[


End file.
